Just a spectacular (and large) drawing… by HM Wilder

HERBERT MERRILL (HM) WILDER (1864-1915) is one of the unsung greats of early magazine cartooning. He was a deft draftsman who incorporated a unique and quirky line style in his drawings, much on the order of Will Crawford. Wilder often incorporated double contour line into his work, which gave the line work a sense of greater movement. Wilder was born and raised in Hinsdale, NH, where he was a member of the library committee for many years. His fathwe was a blacksmith in Hinsdale who later became a banker and Justice of the Peace. Wilder contributed to many of the top publications of the day. He produced work for Harper's Weekly for many years, and the magazine sent Wilder to the Paris Exposition in 1900. He was a frequent contributor to Life and Puck, among others. Wilder also illustrated "The Voyage of the Rattletrap," an 1897 book written by Hayden Carruth.